The Two-Way

12:42 pm

Mon April 21, 2014

Parents Say 234 Girls Are Missing From School In Nigeria

Disturbing news from Nigeria about girls kidnapped last week from their school by Islamist extremists grew even more distressing on Monday when parents told authorities that 234 of the young women are still missing.

That's nearly triple the number — 85 — that officials have been reporting.

"The higher figure came out a week after the kidnappings when the Borno state governor insisted a military escort take him to the town [of Chibok]. Parents told the governor that officials would not listen to them when they drew up their list of names of missing children and the total reached 234.

"The discrepancy in the figures could not immediately be resolved."

Since extremists thought to be from the group known as Boko Haram attacked the school a week ago:

-- Authorities claimed that 100 had been kidnapped, but all but eight escaped or were freed within 48 hours.

-- Authorities retracted that claim after the school's principal said at least 100 girls were still missing.

Now, as the AP says, there's this "latest confusion." According to the wire service, "parents and other town residents have joined the search for the students in the Sambisa Forest which borders Chibok town and is a known hideout for the militants."

As we said, Nigerian authorities suspect the radical Islamist group Boko Haram is behind the abductions. It objects to Western culture, and in particular Western schools.